A New Pair of Steel Shoes

by Kassandra Lea

  “Hi.”

  Nathan explained the situation as best he could, making it clear he understood if she didn’t have the time to reset Birch’s front shoes. An apology could be sent to his personal farrier later in the evening or maybe he’d just pick up some beer or something for the guy when the next appointment swung around. For now though, he was hoping to purchase the expertise of another. Maxine Goodend, as she introduced herself, was more than willing to help once she finished up with the pony. Feeling slightly better, Nathan returned to Birch and dragged her off to the wash stall to get the mud off her feet.

  He was nearly done with the task when Eleanor popped into sight. “So what’s the verdict?”

  “Huh?” He shut off the water.

  “Is your little lady getting new shoes?” She began to toy with her pendant again. Had she ever done it before today, he wondered, unable to recall any specific moments of the past. Surely she must have, right? And why was he suddenly so interested in her pendant-handling habits?

  “Yeah, thankfully. I guess at least one thing has gone my way.”

  There was a twinkle in her eyes. “I think a lot of things are going to start falling into place, Nathan. You’ll see.”

  What exactly did he say to that?

  Eleanor saved him the trouble, dropping the pendant and giving her watch a quick glance. She drew him into an embrace, her body wash mingling with the many aromas of the barn. “Call me tomorrow, okay? Tell me how your day goes.”

  “Sure. Though I suspect it won’t be nearly as eventful as the last two,” a hint of bitterness slipping into his words.

  “You may very well be surprised…”

  Chapter 3

  Lunch the next day found Nathan sitting outside, staring at his phone, a war raging in his head. Displayed on the screen was Marsha’s number; did he hit the call button and beg her for forgiveness or did he take the drastic step of deleting her from his list of contacts? Eleanor’s words combined with his own doubts made him think it was best to let her slip away, another checkmark in the failed relationship’s column. But then wasn’t he just giving up when things got tough? It was like walking a fine line, one he wasn’t entirely sure he knew how to navigate. And maybe, deep down, that was his problem, when it came to relationships Nathan was always at a loss.

  Animals made sense to him. He could read the body language of a horse better than he ever could a human being.

  “So maybe Marsha was right,” he sighed, setting his phone on the bench. “Maybe I do spend too much time at the barn with Birch.”

  Even without the stupid little device in hand he continued to waver on his decision. If he promised to see his horse less she might give him a second chance, but the question was whether or not he’d actually be able to follow through. When the going got tough the automatic response was to head for the barn and get in some quality horse time while he tried to clear his head. Out on the trails, removed from the hustle and bustle of day to day life, he could let his mind wander, think through whatever problem he was currently facing, and more often than not by the time he returned to the barn he knew what needed to be done.

  Besides, horses were important to him, did he really want to date someone who wanted to deny him his pleasure?

  Nathan was about to put his phone back in his pocket, finish up his lunch, and head back to work when it rang. He blinked, stared dumbfounded at the screen. For a split second he hoped to see that it was Marsh, instead he was greeted with an unknown string of numbers. Frowning, he hit the answer button.

  “Hello?”

  “Is, is this,” the unfamiliar male voice paused. “Nathan Pratchett?”

  Nathan opened his mouth, but the right phrase got stuck on his tongue, his brain still trying to process what just happened. A tingle had gone through his body and settled in the pit of his stomach with a flutter. It was also quite possible his heart skipped a beat, the world around him shifting into slow motion, and all because of the voice on the other end of the phone. Struck by disbelief, he pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it, confused, trying to make sense of what just transpired.

  A crow squawked, shocking him back into reality.

  A tinny voice beckoned him from the phone and he put it back to his ear. “Yes,” he finally managed to get out. “This is Nathan Pratchett. Who, may I ask is this and how did you get my number? And let me just say, if you’re trying to sell something, I’m sorry, but I’m just not interested.”

  The man laughed lightly and Nathan shivered. “Nothing like that, I assure you, and my name is Lucas Shaw. I went outside a few minutes ago to fetch something from my shed and was quite surprised to discover a horse rooting around in my garden.” Nathan’s back straightened, a shot of panic slicing through his body. “I managed to get ahold of her and found your number on her halter. I was wondering if you might be able to come fetch her?”

  Nathan practically jumped off the bench, heading back to the office, his mind racing. He would have to use personal time, explain the situation to his boss, and then go out to the barn to borrow a trailer. Thankfully his boss was the understanding sort, so he saw no problem getting the time off and he had the rights to use Eleanor’s trailer whenever he needed, he’d just shoot her a text to let her know. What really bothered him, however, was how Birch managed to get out to begin with. Unless someone left a gate open she shouldn’t have been able to get out. Could she have jumped the fence?

  “I’ll be there as soon as possible,” Nathan breezed inside. “Let me just inform my boss that I need to leave.”

  “Sorry if this is out of line, but how late do you work?”

  “Another four hours.”

  There was a moment of silence, then Lucas Shaw spoke again. “How about you come by after? I’ve got her tied and she seems fairly content munching the grass. There’s a bucket under the sink that I can use to offer her some water. I’m sure she’ll be fine for a few hours.”

  Nathan froze, his finger hovering over the elevator button. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel put out.”

  “Yes, it’s fine. I will call to let you know if anything changes.”

  “Um…thank you,” he stammered, surprised by the stranger’s generosity. Lucas Shaw rattled off an address and Nathan gave him an estimated time of arrival. On the elevator he finally tucked the phone into his back pocket, his mind abuzz with thoughts, all of them demanding he make them his sole focus.

  On one hand he wanted to call Eleanor and tell her what had happened, something that he would certainly do before the day was over. She’d get a kick out of it, speculating with him on how Birch managed to bust free. And there was another thought, he refused to believe she went over the fence, having never shown any knack or interest in jumping in all the years he’d owned her. And her previous owner used her for leisurely trails, nothing more. He was also unhappy that his barn manager hadn’t gotten hold of him to inform him of his horse’s unexpected departure from the property. As soon as he made it back to his desk he would make the call and let it be known he was upset. This was a person he trusted to keep an eye on his mare when he wasn’t around.

  And lastly, there was the matter of his reaction to the sound of Lucas Shaw’s voice. What the hell was that all about? Nathan tried to recall if anything similar had befallen him when he spoke to Marsha. The elevator dinged, the doors whooshing open on his floor, and the answer popped out boldly in the forefront of his mind.

  No, hearing her voice on the other end of the phone, it never once made his heart skip or filled him with a thrill. Definitely one more thing to add to his discussion with Eleanor later that evening or maybe he could invite her out for another ride.

  But first he needed to finish his shift; which was destined to feel like forever, time crawling along at a snail’s pace.

  * * * *

  Hours later, he turned his small SUV, trailer in tow, into the driveway of a quaint house set back from the road. As he slowed to a stop, Nathan let his eyes play over
the house—two stories with a nice covered porch, painted white with forest green shutters—and the yard that bloomed with late season flowers. Everything was neat and well-tended, thus making him feel worse that Birch had found her way seven miles from the barn into the man’s garden. He planned on paying Lucas Shaw for the damage done as well as for keeping the mare a few hours. It was, he figured, the least he could do.

  As he slipped out from behind the steering wheel, the front door opened and a man he assumed must be Lucas Shaw stepped out. The distance between them drawing shorter with every breath, Nathan felt his nerves kick into overdrive like he was a teen about to have his first date. What the hell was wrong with him? He could feel his mouth going dry, but at least his palms weren’t sweating. Yet. Lucas Shaw, he noticed, was definitely a handsome man, standing just shy of six foot with curly brown hair and, when Nathan got close enough to see, eyes the shade of smooth milk chocolate behind frameless glasses.

  “Mr. Pratchett, I presume?”

  “Nathan, please.” He was proud to have spoken without tripping over his tongue. Usually when his nerves threatened to get the best of him he started to have trouble speaking, stumbling over words, stuttering, and as he grew more embarrassed the problems got worse. “I am so sorry about this.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing, please don’t worry,” Lucas brushed it off with a gesture of his hand. “She’s back this way.”

  Nathan fell into step beside Lucas as the man led the way. “I hope she didn’t do too much damage.”

  “Not at all, most of my garden has been harvested.”

  He smelled pleasantly, almost like baked goods and fresh laundry, a combination that made Nathan feel homey, safe, and comfortable. The sorts of things he never felt in the company of Marsha, usually she just brought up a sense of anxiety as he fretted over the possibility of upsetting her or somehow letting her down. And why, he wondered, did he think he loved her so very much? Clearly he’d been blinded by…what, exactly he could not say, but it was becoming more evident to him that his feelings may have been misplaced.

  Another idea added to the list for his later discussion with Eleanor.

  Birch came into view and just as Lucas had described over the phone, she stood munching on the grass, tail swishing to shoo away the occasional pesky fly. She sported her leather breakaway halter, a dog tag with his information affixed to the cheek ring, something he’d added for just such an event. Lucas tied her with a piece of rope, one end tethered to her halter, the other around the thin trunk of an ornamental tree. The knot, surprisingly enough, was the sort Nathan would have used, the rope allowing for a quick release if Birch got spooked and tried to pull free. It was a hassle, but less dangerous.

  He gave her a quick once over and found her free of any injuries.

  “I really am sorry about all this,” he said, puzzled by the whole affair. “She’s never gotten out before. Please let me pay you for your troubles.”

  Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. “No need.” Giving Nathan yet another surprise, Lucas patted Birch affectionately on the side. “It was kind of nice having her around.”

  “Do you ride?” The words just sort of popped out. His heart hammered away at his ribcage.

  Again Lucas shook his head. “Never been in the saddle a day of my life. But I’ve always appreciated the fine beauty of the equine spirit.”

  So when was the other shoe going to drop? The man not only made him feel like he was walking on air, if that was a suitable way of explaining it, but he liked horses. For so long Nathan told himself it was okay if he fell for someone who didn’t follow his passion, everyone had their own thing. Only, that hadn’t been working out so well for him. Lucas almost seemed too good to be true, the sort of thing his mother used to warn him about.

  That was when reality snapped him like a rubber band. Just because he felt something indescribable the likes of which he’d never felt before, didn’t mean it was automatically mutual. For all he knew, it might be some rebound thing, a strange side effect of grief from recently being dumped. It also didn’t mean Lucas was free for the asking or even interested. Somewhat deflated, Nathan bit the inside of his cheek. He’d just managed to successfully crash his mood.

  He undid the tether. “Well, thank you again for keeping an eye on her and I’m really very sorry for all this.”

  “It was no trouble, really.” The smile that turned up the corners of Lucas’s mouth also sparked a light in his eyes, one that made them shimmer enchantingly. Nathan could have easily gotten lost in them, turning away. “It was a nice surprise and she gave me something new to work with.”

  The statement struck Nathan as odd. “Oh?” By now he was leading Birch, the sudden escape artist, back to the trailer.

  “Yes, I’m a photographer. I’ve been stuck lately trying to come up with a few more photos to finish off a collection and this lovely girl turned out to be a good subject.” They were at the back of the trailer, and, without really giving it much thought, Nathan handed the end of the loose end of the rope to Lucas and went through the steps of opening the trailer door. “I haven’t had a chance to actually go through the photos I shot, but once I’ve weeded out the less than stellar ones I would be more than happy to send copies your way before doing anything further with them. After all, she is your horse.”

  Birch loaded without any fuss, content to stand patiently while Nathan and Lucas talked. “That would be nice, thank you.”

  “I could email them to you or, um,” Lucas cleared his throat. “I have your number, maybe we could meet up for coffee…” he let the end of the sentence trail off. Nathan tried to ignore the fact that Lucas’s cheeks had taken on a rosy hue. Perhaps he’d been wrong to quickly assume the lack of mutual attraction.

  “Sure, coffee sounds wonderful,” he smiled, a jolt of ecstasy shooting through his body.

  Relief seemed to ease over Lucas, his eyes practically dancing with delight. “I’ll call you in a day or two, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  They exchanged a few more pleasantries, ones that might have been awkward if Nathan bothered to give them too much thought, and then parted ways. As he drove back to the barn, the list of things he wanted to share with Eleanor grew longer. And though he was excited by the prospect of a future date with Lucas Shaw—for certainly they had made a date, of sorts, right?—he was acutely aware of the lingering pain from the breakup with Marsha. The last thing he needed to be doing was jumping headfirst into something new, especially when he still felt so confused.

  “I need a glass of wine and maybe some cheesecake,” he sighed, parking out behind the barn.

  Quick as a wink he unloaded Birch and walked her back to her stall. Confined where she belonged, he gave her a more thorough checking over, even going so far as to lift each hoof to make sure she hadn’t gotten a rock stuck or perhaps stepped on something during her seven mile journey.

  “What the…”

  When he flexed her front right leg he noticed a decisive red and blue shimmer to the perfectly crafted horseshoe, almost like particles of glitter. He was baffled, he’d never seen such a thing before. Nathan ran his finger over the shoe, thinking she might have stepped in something, but the glimmer remained. He felt a slight tingle where the tip of his finger touched the shoe, like a soft bite of static electricity.

  “Well, that’s just weird.” He let go of her hoof, figured maybe it had something to do with the ferrier’s methods. Birch seemed fine in every other way, so he put it out of his mind, finishing up a few minor tasks before heading home to make his call to Eleanor. She was definitely in for an earful, and he badly wanted a second opinion on his encounter with Lucas.

  Chapter 4

  A few days later Nathan was faced with the fact that things were beyond a doubt finished between him and Marsha. It was a Saturday morning and he had plans to venture out to the barn for an early ride, stepping out the front door only to stumble over an unexpected box. Nathan nearly lost his balance, grabbing the doorknob
to keep from pitching forward onto the cement sidewalk. The box turned out to be the classic moving box, void of any packing tape or packing labels that might have jogged his memory about a forgotten package. Frowning, he pulled back the flaps.

  And a new crack formed in his heart.

  With a heavy sigh, Nathan sank onto the cement, tears burning in his eyes as he sucked in his bottom lip. Contained within the box were all the things he’d left behind at Marsh’s apartment. Though thankful for having them returned, he saw it as the final nail in the coffin, confirming there was no way he would be able to repair the damage.

  While talking in length to Eleanor the other day, he came to the simple yet painful conclusion that Marsha was all wrong for him and in a matter of time he would be ready to move on. She seemed to think Lucas was a promising first step in a new direction, pointing out how excited he sounded when he brought the man up, the way Lucas’s name made him smile; she heard it in his voice. Still, to have his things returned, even if he accepted their parting of ways, there was a certain sadness linked to the ending of a love that didn’t quite make it.

  One or two tears managed to slip free. Nathan wiped them away with the heel of his hand. Getting to his feet, he tucked the box quickly inside—she must have dropped it off sometime during the night when there was little risk of running into him—and continued on with his initial plan for a ride.

  The place was quiet for the most part, a lesson being given in the sizable indoor arena. The horses were outside, so after fetching his tack from his locker, Nathan went out to get Birch. She was in a five acre pasture with four other horses, two mares and two geldings. They were grazing in a small group a few yards from the gate. As he undid the chain and slipped into the enclosure, he paused, eyeing the fencing. When he informed the manager of Birch’s escapade she’d been overly apologetic and assured him she would find a way to make it up to him. They’d come to the same conclusion he reached with Eleanor, Birch jumped the fence.